Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S262904AbUDANjS (ORCPT ); Thu, 1 Apr 2004 08:39:18 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S262909AbUDANjS (ORCPT ); Thu, 1 Apr 2004 08:39:18 -0500 Received: from mail.shareable.org ([81.29.64.88]:4757 "EHLO mail.shareable.org") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S262904AbUDANjQ (ORCPT ); Thu, 1 Apr 2004 08:39:16 -0500 Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 14:39:12 +0100 From: Jamie Lokier To: bert hubert , Larry McVoy , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: who is merlin.fit.vutbr.cz? Message-ID: <20040401133912.GA25163@mail.shareable.org> References: <200403290108.i2T18T8d024595@work.bitmover.com> <20040331182039.GA29397@outpost.ds9a.nl> <20040331213143.GC20693@mail.shareable.org> <20040331214517.GB1599@outpost.ds9a.nl> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20040331214517.GB1599@outpost.ds9a.nl> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.1i Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1447 Lines: 31 bert hubert wrote: > On Wed, Mar 31, 2004 at 10:31:43PM +0100, Jamie Lokier wrote: > > > RCU for BitKeeper trees? :-) > > > > Last I heard, RCU is patented by IBM, with permission to use it in GPL > > programs (maybe limited to version 2 of the GPL?), so that Linux can use it. > > This is really astonishing. It is not possible to say one thing about > bitkeeper without descending into a discussion on patents and licenses! No. It's an unfortunate coincidence that you mentioned RCU on a BitKeeper(tm) thread. A suggestion to use RCU in, say, Mozilla or FreeBSD would have elicited a similar response. RCU patents were mentioned numerous times in the news when RCU was added to the kernel. One presumes, then, that IBM was keen for it to be known the technique is patented, and one would be wise to tread carefully if intending to copy the technique as it is used in Linux, as you jokingly suggested. In case you misunderstood, the grandparent post was not an attack on BitMover. Fwiw, I'm on BitMover's side if the RCU patent is relevant, which it probably is not. I doubt if the patent extends beyond task scheduling done in a certain way, although as I said I have not read it. -- Jamie - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/